According to Barabash, twelve evacuees from the start of the Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine came to the plant’s shelter and asked for shelter.
“There were 12 more people, they were civilians, some of them worked for subcontractors who worked at the coke plant under contract. They knew what kind of accommodation was there. That’s why they asked,” he said.
Barabash said it was very difficult to persuade people to evacuate and they did not want to go.
“After the evacuation, probably a month after all the workers of the coke plant were evacuated, these people refused to leave the plant and stayed there. First there were 17 of them, then we forced three, then two. As of yesterday, there were 12 of them, now we have to convince them all. “It’s over, everyone has been evacuated. Now, psychologists are working with the evacuees,” Barabash said.
Battles for Avdivka
Let us remind you that at the beginning of October, the Russian army significantly intensified the fighting in the Avdiyivka area. The attack is believed to be the biggest since 2014.
The occupiers lost at least 10,000 soldiers in the battles for Avdiivka, as the Chief of Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, General Valery Zalushny, previously stated. At the same time, President Volodymyr Zelensky noted that Russian losses in the Avdiivka region were higher than in Pakmut.
The Ukrainian military explained that Avdiivka cannot be captured until the Russian army captures the area of the Avdiivka coke plant. In late November and early December, Russian propagandists claimed victory in the Koksokhim region.
However, on December 3, soldiers of the 47th Separate Mechanized Regiment denied rumors about the advance of invaders on the territory of this plant. Defenders insisted he was under the control of the armed forces.
We must add that heavy fighting is currently taking place along the entire front line in the Avdiyivka area, but the Russian occupiers are paying special attention to Stepovo, northwest of the city. The interventionists want to capture it to cut off the defense force’s logistics.
As a military expert, Reserve Major of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksiy Hetman explained in a conversation with RBC-Ukraine, the Russians have a deadline to capture Avdiyivka. The deadline planned by the occupiers is mid-December.
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